Reg u lato r



(No Modei.) 2 sheets-sheet 1.

H. L. FBRRIS. WINDMILL REGULATOR.

N. PETERS. hul-lilhognphtr, Wnhinghn. ILC.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

H L FERRIS WINDMILL REGULATOR.

No. 4225,82. Patented Mar. 4, 1890..

lvm/enfer Eazy 07m/7M (@947755). @W

UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY L. EERRIs, oF HARVARD, ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR To HUNT, I-IELM a EERRIs, or sAME PLACE.

WINDMILL-REGULATOR.l

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 42.2582, dated March 4, 1890.

Application iiled November 29, 1889. Serial No. 331,941. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern: l

B indicates, as a whole, the regulating mech- Be it known that I, HENRY L. FERRIS, o anism, mounted upon a plate b, secured to the Harvard, in the county of McHenry and State cross-beain A. The said regulating mechanof Illinois, have invented certain new and ism consists, essentially, of a segment of a 5 useful Improvements in VindmillRegula- `ratchetewheel B, pivoted concentrically upon 55 tors; and I do hereby declare that the followa pivot-pin or bolt b', fastened to the plate b. ing is a full, clear, and exact description Said ratchet-wheel segment B is connected thereof, reference being had to the acconiwiththe wind-wheel forthrowingthelatterout panying drawings, and to the letters of referof the wind when the former is turned about 1o ence marked thereon, which form a part of its pivot in one direction, and said segment is 6o this specification. provided with devices connected with the reA This invention relates to a novel construcciprocating pump-rod A for turning sai'd seg-v t'ion in devices for regulating the operation ment. i A convenient manner of Inaking said of windmills, whereby the operating or wind segment B is to provide a wheel Bgwitli only 15 wheel can be automatically thrown out of the a segment of its periphery toothed or having 65 wind when the water has reached a predeterratchet-teetli, as shown at B B. The said mined level in the tank, thereby stopping the wheel B2 is provided at the untoothed por pumping operation, and also for automatition of its periphery with a radially-extend cally throwing the wind-Wheel back into the ing arm b2, which is connected with the wind* 2o wind when the level of the water is lowered, ,wheel by means of a cable or strand b3, con- 7o thus permitting the pumping operation to be nected with said armo?. The said cable or resumed. strand 3 is connected with the wnd-wheel in The invention consists in the features of a familiar manner, sothatwhen the cable is construction and combinations of parts herepulled downwardly the wheel will be thrown 25 inaftei fully described, and pointed out in out of the wind. l 75 the appended claims. Y As a separate and distinct improvement in ln the accompanying drawings, Figure l isv the means for throwing the windwheel ont a fragmentary view in side elevation, sliowof the wind, a spring b* is interposed between ing a portion of the vstiuicture for supporting .the arm b2 and the windewheel, conveniently 3o the windmill and the tank provided with de- Iconnecting the said arm andthe lower end of 8o vices const-ructedl in accordance with my inthe cable. The said spring b4 is made strong veiition. Fig. 2 is a detail viewv in side ele- Y enough to normally withstand without iexion vation, showing the main parts of the reguthe strain incident in pullingtlie wheel out lating mechanism detached from the structof the wind, but is adapted to yield when 3 5 ure. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view,in ever the cable is subiected to a sudden or ab- 85- side elevation, of the lever and pallet connormal strain, which 1s often occasioned by necting the pump-rod with the regulating gusts of wind while the wheel is being pulled mechanism, said View being taken from the out of it, and which would in the absence of opposite side to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. said spring tend to inJure ordisable the reg- 4o ln said drawings, A A indicate the upulating mechanism of the Windmill. 90 right beams of the structure or windmill- Upon reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings tower, and A indicates a cross-beam. it will be seen that the teeth B aremade of A2 is a pump-rod connected in a familiar different sizeeetliat is to say, their height manner with the windwheel and with the variesbut the distance between their points 45 pumping apparatus. y is the same. The inner end of the teeth are 95 A3 is a water-tank of familiar construction arranged concentric with the wheel B2, while and located adjacent to the windmill. A their outer ends are arranged Ain an eccentric' weighted float a is located within the saidY manner, and their height increases from the tank and is connected with the regulating point where the wheel is iirst engaged by the actuating devices for turning it to bring the Ioo 5o mechanism, as hereinafter fully described.

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windwheel out of the wind. The said wheel B2 is provided with an enlargement or weighted portion B3, located on the side of the wheel opposite to the am h2. The said wheel B being mounted loosely upon the bolt or pivotpin b', it is obvious that when the said wheel is not engaged the weighted portion B3 falls and t-hrows the arm b2 upwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, which is its normal position. The devices for turning the said ratchet-segment B comprise an operating-lever D and a pallet D', connected therewith. The said lever D is pivoted at one end to the bolt t and at its other end is loosely pivoted to the pump-rod A2 by means ot a pin a on said rod located within a slot Z in said lever.

It follows from the above construction that as the pump-rod works up and down the lever D vibratcs upon the pivot b as an axis. The pallet D Fig. 3, is secured to the rear face of the lever D, and comprises a sliding pin or bar d', located in bearing-lugs (Z2 (Z2 on opposite ends of a plate CZ. The rear end of said har (Z' is made cylindric, while its front end is preferably square in cross-section. Said eylindric portion slides in a cylindric bearing in the rear lug (Z2. A coiled spring CZ", aet ing by expansion, encircles the cylindric portion of the pin (Z and bears at its ends against the rear lug (Z2 and the shoulder formed between the cylindric and square portions of the pin. The said spring serves to press the pin d into engagement with the ratchet-segnient.

d5 indicates alatcral projection or lug hereinafter referred to.

E indicates a spring actuated detent adapted for engagement with the ratchetsegmcnt to prevent a backward movement of thc same when it is being turned by the lever and pallet. The said detent E is preferably squarc in its front end portion and cylindric in its rear end portion, and said detent has a sliding bearing in two blocks c e, secured to the plate Z). A coiled spring e', acting by expansion, encircles the cylindric portion of the detent E and bears at its ends against the rear lug e and the shoulder formed between the eylindric and square portions of the detent. The spring c thus serves to press the detent into engagement with the ratchet segment `to prevent the same from turning backward. The said detentE is provided on its front side with a lateral projection or lug c2, hereinafter referred to.

It follows from the above construction that the lever D will be vibrated whenever the pump-rod works up and down, and consequently the pallet D will turn the ratchetsegment in one direction and the detent E will prevent the same from turning backward. It is obviously necessary to provide some means for holding` the pallet and detent from engagement with the ratchelrsegment; other wise the wind-wheel would be pulled out of the wind as soon as it commenced to turn or reciprocate the pump-rod, and thus prevent float a.

The devices for accomplishing this purpose are constructed as follows:

F indicates a longitudinally-sliding rod or pin mounted in bearings formed in the blocks c e and provided near its forward end with a any water from being pumped.

eross-bar F. Said cross-bar extends above and below t-he pin F, but extends a greater distance below the same, and is located in front of and in contact with the lugs Z5 and c2 on said pallet and detent. The said crossbar F is also curved, as shown, so that when the pallet vibrates with the lever D the said lug (Z5 thereon will always be in engagement with the rear edge of said cross-bar. It is obvious that when the cross-bar is retracted it will draw the pallet and pawl from engage ment with the ratchet-segment.

F2 indicates a lever pivoted at f to the plate Z/ and having its short arm f in engagement with a lug or pin f2 on the sliding pin F. The long arm f of said lever extends below the beam A', to which the plate ZJ is secured, and is connected by a rope or strand fl with the The said rope is so connected with the float a that when the latter is `unsupported it will exert a strain upon the rope suliicient to swing the lever F2 011 its pivot and draw the pallet and detent from engagement with the i'atchetseglnent. In the drawings the iioat is shown as connected with the horizontal arm of abell-crank lever F4, pivoted upon a standard f5, while the lever F2 is connected with the vertical arm of said bell-crank lever F".

F5 is a bell-crank lever pivoted upon one of the upright beams A and having its vertical arm connected with the rope f4 and its horizontal arm weighted. The said bell-crank lever F5 is adapted to exerta pressure upon the rope]4 to draw the same back when the iioat is unsupported.

The operation of my invention is as follows: In the drawings the parts are shown in the positions they will assume when the water in the tank has reached a level sufficiently high to support the float a, so that the pallet and detent will engage the ratchet-segment. lt is obvious -that when the float is unsupported it will, through the intcrmediacy of the rope f, lever F2, pin F, and cross-bar F', disengage the pallet and detcnt from the ratchet-segment. The pump-rod thereupon merely vibrates the lever D upon its pivot b. It is obvious that when the float is unsup ported the tank is not filled with water and the Wind-wheel will continue to revolve, rcciprocate the pump-rod, and pump water into `the tank. As soon, however, as the water reaches the float the rope f" is slackened, and the springs CZl of the pallet and c of the de tent, assisted by the bell-crank lever F5, take up this slack. The said springs also press the pallet and detent toward the ratchet-segment. The said pallet and detent do not come in contact with the ratchet-segment as soon as the lloat commences to rise, owing IOO TIO

to the fact that the teethfot' said segment nearest thepallet and detent are vof a reduced height. The said pallet and detent are so located relatively to the ratchet-segment that When the latter stands with` its Weighted portion down the short teeth of the ratchet-segment are adjacent to said pallet and detent.l The teeth thus located are made of such size that the pallet, as it is allowed to gradually move toward the ratchet-segment bythe rising of the tloat, will not engage only a portion thereof, but will engage the entire tooth s in the iirst instance, as shown in Fig..2 in

dotted lines. In said figure the lever D is shown at the lower limit of its stroke, andit is evident that as the lever rises it will turn the wheel B2 to the right, the length of the stroke of the lever D being suflicient to turn the Wheel. B2 the lengthof one tooth at each stroke. VIt is obvious that the detent E will also engage the teeth to prevent the wheel from turning backward. As the lever D continues -to vibrate the wheel is turned until the pallet engages the last one ofthe teeth. During the turning of the Wheel the arm b2 thereon descends and draws the rope b2 down with it, thus .pulling the wind-wheel out of the wind. The Wind-wheel then ceases to revolve and the pump rod and lever D cease to work. f

In devices of this kind as heretofore constructedthe objection has been that, owing to the teeth of the ratchet, which were all of the same height, and that the pallet by which they Were operated approached the teeth gradually as the float rose, said pallet would merely engage the tip end of the tooth, and it often occurred that the points of the teeth or of the pallet have been broken oft inconsequence of the great strain imposed upon'them. However, when the strain upon the teeth in pulling the Wheel out of the wind has not been so great as to break the teeth, it sometimes happened that a gust of wind would strike the Wheel suddenly, thus tending te pull it back into the Wind, thesaid, wind-wheel being rigidly connected with the regulating mechanism, and in some cases this sudden strain upon the teeth and the pallet thus occurring would break the same. The construction herein describedv overcomes these objections, for the reason that the pallet always engages the entire tooth, which latter, being shorter, is oi' greater strength than the same portion of a longer tooth. The spring b4 also serves to protect the teeth from injury. As before described, the said spring is of such strengthv that it stands without iieXion the ordinary strain incident to pulling the wind-wheel out of the wind. However, when the Vrope is subjected to a sudden or abnormal strain such as is occasioned by gusts of wind striking'the v Wheel, such strain is not communicated to the ratchet-teeth or the pallet, but is taken up by the spring b4, which bends and acts as a cushion to relieve the teeth of strain and prevent their breakage.

The part-s remain in the positionlast described so long asthe tank is illedwith Water; but it is obvious that as soon as the level of the water falls the iioat descends, and then,

through the intermediacy of the rope f4, lever F2, pin F, and cross-bar F', the pallet and detent are disengaged from the ratchet-teeth, and thus the wheel B2 is free to turn on its pivot. The weighted portion B3 having been turned to the left will immediately drop upon the release of the wheel B2 to the position shown in Figs. l and 2. This movement brings the teeth of reduced size on said wheel into position to be again engaged by the pallet when the latter acts to pull the windwheel out of the wind at another operation. The arm b2 thus being in an upright position, the rope b3 is slack and the wheel free to swing back into the wind. Whenever said wheel does swing back into the wind the pump-rod Will vibrate the operating-lever until enough waterhas been pumped into the tank to raise the iioat, whereupon the pallet and detent will be let into engagement with the ratchet-segment and the Wheel pulledout of the wind, as before described.

I claim as my invention- 1. A. windmill-regulator comprising a pivA oted ratchet-segment the teeth of which are of graduallyincreasingheightbeginningfrom the point where they are first engaged by the devices for turning the same, an operatinglever pivoted. concentrically with said ratchetsegment and connected with a reciprocating part ot' the windmill, aspring-actuated pallet upon said operating-lever adapted to nor mally engage the said teeth of the ratchet, and devices, substantially as described, connected with said pallet and with the float located in the tank into which the Water pumped by the windmill iiows and adapted to hold said pallet from engagement with the said teeth when the float is unsupported, substantially as described. l p

2. AWindmill-regulator comprising the regulating mechanism connected with afmoving part of the Windmill and with the Wind-wheel for throwing the latter out of the Wind, and a spring interposed between said regulating TOO IIO

mechanism and the win d-wheel, substan tially f as described.

3. A Windmill-regulator comprising a pivoted ratchet-segment, an operating-lever con-1 nected at one end with a reciprocating part of the Windmill and having engagement with said ratchetsegment, whereby when said part is reciprocated said ratchetsegment will be turned upon its pivot, said. ratchetsegment being also connected with the devices for pulling the windwheel out of the Wind, and a spring interposed between said ratchet-- wheel and the Windmill, substantially as described. i

4. A windinillregulator comprising ya pivoted part B2, connected with a moving part of the Windmilhsaid part B2 being connected with the device tor pulling the wind-wheel .Iso

connected with the devices for pulling the wheel out of the wind and provided at :Lpoint opposite Snell point of connection with :L Weighted portion, as B, subSt/zmtially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aix mysignature in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY L. FERRIS. lVitnesses:

N. E. BLAKE, E. H. SENGER. 

